There’s no denying the New England Patriots are a worse team without Matthew Judon, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday. But head coach Jerod Mayo attempted to put a positive spin on the deal during a Thursday night interview and even acknowledged the trade is a good outcome for Judon.
Jerod Mayo Offers His Take on Patriots Trading Matthew Judon
The Patriots traded Judon for a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s a solid return for a 32-year-old pass rusher who’s coming off a torn bicep and wants a raise.
Judon, of course, had gone public with his desire for a new contract and had become a major distraction during training camp. His participation fluctuated, and his press conferences generated the wrong kinds of headlines.
Ahead of Thursday’s preseason home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Mayo offered his take on the Judon trade.
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“I think it’s a win-win,” Mayo said on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “We didn’t look at it as this negotiation or trade has to be a win-lose situation. We get a third-round pick for a veteran pass rusher, and he gets the chance to go get the contract that he desires with the Falcons.
“So I think it’s a win-win, and once again, we need some of these young guys to step up and develop.”
Judon posted a combined 28 sacks in 2021 and 2022 and was on a sack-per-game pace before tearing his bicep last season. Replacing his production won’t be easy, but Mayo believes the Patriots can get by with schemed pressure and breakout performances from young players.
“For a long time around here, we’ve been able to generate a pass rush without a premier rusher,” Mayo said. “Chandler (Jones), he was a premier rusher. Judon was a premier rusher.
“But there have been years where we didn’t have that guy and we would scheme things up, and I feel fairly confident that we’ll be able to do that.”
Time will tell whether Mayo is right.
PFN Analysis: How will Patriots Replace Judon?
The Judon trade makes a lot of sense for the Patriots in a vacuum, but it’s still a risky move. You can click here to read our full breakdown of what the trade could mean for New England’s future.
But what about the trade’s impact on this season?
Believe it or not, the Patriots are relatively well-positioned to absorb the loss of Judon on the field. Losing Judon and Christian Barmore is too much, but New England has strong in-house options on the edge.
Perhaps Joshua Uche (three sacks in 2023) will recapture his 2022 form when he posted 11.5 sacks.
Second-year edge defender Keion White appears ready for a breakout and can play both standing up and with his hand in the dirt.
Anfernee Jennings isn’t a great pass rusher, but he sets the best edge on the team.
Veteran Deatrich Wise Jr. is 30 years old but remains rock-solid at defensive end.
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And then there’s former New York Giant Oshane Ximines, one of the pleasant surprises of training camp. The sixth-year pro struggles against the run, but he’s flashed pass-rush upside all summer and was a top performer in the preseason opener.
That’s not to say Ximines will be Rob Ninkovich 2.0. But don’t be surprised to see him come out of nowhere to give the Patriots solid production this season.
Oshane Ximines popped as both a pass rusher and run defender vs the Panthers, continuing what's been an impressive summer
Given all the uncertainty surrounding the #Patriots OLBs, he could prove to be a valuable rotational piece along the DL pic.twitter.com/47zSXbRSSu
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) August 9, 2024
The Patriots don’t have anyone with the immediate upside of Judon, who still might have a 15-sack season in him. Even the most optimistic Keion White projections don’t have the 2023 second-rounder playing at that level.
But New England has sneaky-good depth on the edge, and the group’s ceiling remains relatively high even without Judon. It just lacks someone who can strike fear into the hearts of opposing quarterbacks.
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